Russia tops World Ranking

Pavel Datsyuk (#13) and Ilya Kovalchuk (#71) couldn't celebrate with the gold medals, but they led Russia to the number-one position in the 2010 IIHF World Ranking. Photo: Jukka Rautio / HHOF-IIHF Images

COLOGNE – Russia did not only win the silver medals at the 2010 IIHF World Championship, thanks to their successful World Championship campaign they took over the top position in the newest IIHF World Ranking.

Russia was already atop after the 2009 World Championship, but Canada claimed the number one position after the Olympics. Now Russia is number one again, followed by Canada, down to second place after losing to Russia in the quarterfinals.

Also the third and fourth places changed back to the previous order as bronze medal winner Sweden overtook Finland for third place.

The results at this year’s world tourney had also consequences for the Czechs that surprised positively and the Americans that had to play in the relegation round. The Czech Republic is now fifth while the United States moved down to sixth.

After its fifth-place finish in Germany, Switzerland claimed back seventh place from Slovakia, which is now eighth.

Host nation Germany made the biggest jump of all, thanks to their surprising fourth-place finish on home ice in Cologne, Mannheim and Gelsenkirchen. The Germans jumped up from twelfth to ninth place.

Belarus moved down one spot, to tenth, Latvia two to twelfth place. Norway (11th), Denmark (13th) and Austria (14th) keep their positions.